Having lived in the suburbs of England as a child, visiting my family and experiencing the London city-life as an adult felt like a homecoming after being separated from my home country for several years. One might describe this return as an overwhelming experience where one’s “baby” cousins had suddenly become complicated teenagers, an uncle’s small restaurant had become bustling and popular, and grandparents had become old and so, so frail. For me, however, my trip to London was a reunion with a culture and pride that I had forgotten, but was always with me.
Now with more maturity (and money), I finally saw what London had to offer. With my older brother and an American friend who coincidentally was in London at the same time, we explored the overpriced food and drinks at Borough Market, had a relaxing walk with the massive bird population in Hyde Park, and picked up sweet snacks from Chinatown which we ate at sunset by Tower Bridge. On my solo day, I took myself to the vintage shops of Brick Lane (and spent more money than I thought) and visited the Yoshitomo Nara exhibition in South Bank.
On one of my last days of the trip, our cousin turned 19, and the entire family celebrated the evening at our childhood “celebration” venue, a classic Chinese restaurant with gaudy decorations and a tank full of live lobster. My favourite, most emotional moment of this trip was being seated with all my cousins at the “kids'” table (though nine of us were at least 15 and only one was 8), but despite our “mature” ages, the evening passed by with jokes, unserious conversations, and tears of laughter. The evening ended with a sad departure marked by the prospect that we’ll be separated by the North Sea and Schengen again, but we all knew one day, I would definitely return to my home, London.
- Anna Phan, October 2025